1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in vehicles and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to complementary pairs of vehicles adapted for mutually latching engagement during the transporting of in-line objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The service life of steel pipes, and the like, is greatly increased by the application of an external coating material thereto. Steel pipe sections are normally relatively long and heavy and somewhat difficult to handle during a coating operation. In order to overcome the present day difficulties of these pipe coating operations, the system set forth in my co-pending application Ser. No. 815,910, filed July 15, 1977, and entitled "Pipe Coating System" has been developed wherein a plurality of individual pipe sections are moved sequentially through the steps required for the efficient coating operation. During many of the coating steps, the heavy pipe sections are supported by rolling or wheeled carts or vehicles which carry the pipe sections through the coating stations in such a manner that the entire outer periphery of each pipe section is thoroughly and efficiently coated.
In order to achieve the optimum coverage during the coating operation, the system set forth in my co-pending application Ser. No. 815,910, including the combined longitudinal and rotational movement of each pipe section carried by the wheeled vehicles, is used. The pipe sections are moved in a forward longitudinal direction by suitable push roller means and rotated about the longitudinal axes thereof by suitable plug means carried by the wheeled vehicles. In order to provide a more efficient movement of the individual pipe sections carried by the wheeled vehicles, it is important that the pipe sections be maintained in a substantially abutting end-to-end relation, which is difficult to achieve with presently available rolling or wheeled vehicles of this type.